What is a Primary Antibody Deficiency?

A primary disease is something that happens of it’s own. Very often primary diseases are caused by faults in the Genes. In contrast, a secondary disease is something that happens in the body after something else has damaged or attacked it in some way.

An example of a primary and secondary disease is this: somebody gets a cold, this is a primary infection. The person then goes on to develop pneumonia, this is a secondary infection. The cold was primary, the pneumonia was secondary to the cold.

What are Antibodies?

Antibodies are cells which the immune system makes specifically to fight bacteria that has invaded the body.

In a Medical Context what does Deficiency Mean?

The word deficiency is used to explain that the body is lacking in something it needs to function properly.

So, a Primary Antibody Deficiency (PAD) is something you cannot catch. It means that the immune system cannot make antibodies. The problem causing the inability of the immune system to make antibodies is not the same in every person who has an antibody deficiency.